Feature/Profiles

Berrys Are Leaders in Lifetime Giving to NMU

John and Shirley Berry (left) with Kristin and Brock Tessman, NMU's president, in the Northern Center
Jan. 27, 2025 —
Northern Michigan University alumnus John Berry Jr. has continued the philanthropic legacy passed down by his grandfather and father, whose entrepreneurial success heading the largest Yellow Pages advertising agency in the United States inspired them to give back to future generations in ways that reflected their core values, including education. John and Shirley Berry have become the leaders in lifetime giving to NMU, surpassing $10 million. Their most recent gifts of $3.5 million include $2 million to endow in perpetuity the College of Business Deanship in their names, and $1 million as an expendable fund to support the Northern Enterprise Center, the future home of the College of Business.

Commencement Speaker Follows Parents into Nursing

Guinn in the Nursing Technology Center, where she spent much of her time.
Dec. 6, 2024 —
Suzanna Guinn of Marquette said she considers nursing the “Swiss army knife” of undergraduate degrees, both for the skills and knowledge it encompasses and the wide range of career opportunities and potential work settings. Her academic major was inspired in part by her parents' experience in the field. They will no doubt be watching with pride as she delivers the student commencement address at NMU's Dec. 14 ceremony.

Prof Writes Book on Mental Illness Portrayals

Richmond
Feb. 27, 2019 —
Mental illness affects about one in five American teens. This is increasingly reflected in young adult fiction, as recent surveys indicate one quarter of the genre's titles feature characters with psychological disorders. Northern Michigan University English Professor Kia Jane Richmond has published a new book that explores how real struggles such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder are portrayed through fictional characters. Her hope is that Mental Illness in Young Adult Literature will help educators, librarians and mental health professionals to more effectively address the needs of students.

NMU Grad Defies the Odds to Earn Degree

Travis Thetford
Dec. 19, 2018 —

Eleven years after a stranger savagely beat him with a pool stick outside a bar and left him for dead, Travis Thetford crossed the NMU commencement stage in his wheelchair Dec. 15 to accept his diploma. The former star athlete at Escanaba High School suffered a traumatic brain injury and left-side paralysis in the wake of the attack. He has since inspired many with his perseverance and positive attitude in tackling adversity.

NMU Program Earns Innovation Award

Lubig with the award
Nov. 15, 2018 —

Northern Michigan University’s bachelor of science degree in applied workplace leadership received the 2018 Innovation in Transfer Award today at the Michigan Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (MACRAO) annual conference in Frankenmuth. The online program enables individuals holding an associate of applied science degree from any community college to ladder to a bachelor’s degree that will qualify them for management positions.

FROST Aids Evidence Tech Training

FROST training
Oct. 18, 2018 —

The NMU Public Safety Institute conducts annual training for evidence technicians, alternating between an intensive two-week basic course one year and a series of two-day refreshers the next. The refreshers being held on campus this month focus on death investigations because the institute partnered with NMU’s Forensic Research Outdoor Station (FROST) and Forensic Anthropology Research Laboratory. Both locations offer hands-on training to complement the classroom instruction provided with support from the Michigan State Police.

Detroit Students Aim North

Future NMU student planting a garden
Oct. 3, 2018 —
Graduating high school seniors in Detroit were able to get a head start on college before leaving their hometown through Aim North, a pilot program offered through Northern Michigan University’s Diversity and Inclusion Office. Students could take two summer courses, earning up to eight credits toward the liberal studies requirements for a degree prior to enrolling at NMU or another institution this fall.

Rutledge Provides Community Outreach to Veterans

NMU Veteran Services Coordinator Mike Rutledge
Mar. 11, 2025 —
Northern Michigan University hosted a March 8 visit by the touring group 1° of Separation, which presents a comedy show and suicide prevention program aimed at ending the stigma of mental illness. NMU Veterans Services Coordinator Mike Rutledge is on the board of Upper Peninsula Together With Veterans, the organization that brought the show to several U.P. locations. He also collaborates with other organizations that help area residents who have served in the military—outreach that extends beyond his role assisting student veterans and elevating NMU's position on national Military Friendly Schools rankings.

NMU's White Receives Two Honors

Kristen White in her NMU office
Mar. 7, 2025 —
The calendar shifted to 2025 a short time ago, but it has already been a “banner year” for Northern Michigan University assistant professor of education Kristen White. She co-authored “Teaching with Literacy Programs,” which received the 2025 Gloria J. Ladson-Billings Outstanding Book Award from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) last week. She also will be honored in March as the 2025 Michigan Reading Association Teacher Educator of the Year. It is an impressive start for a woman who said her only other award in life was “Student of the Week” in 10th grade.

Alumna's Book Inspired by Spread Goodness Day

NMU alumna and Spread Goodness Day founder Anna Dravland (left) is pictured with NMU alumna Sue Meier, the coauthor of a children's book based on Dravland's story
Feb. 26, 2025 —
Northern Michigan University alumna Anna Dravland's efforts to develop and expand Spread Goodness Day, an annual event that celebrates the “explosive and empowering” impacts of simple acts of goodness, inspired fellow NMU alumna and retired elementary teacher Sue Meier to coauthor a related children's book, The Goodness Garden. With support from generous donors, hundreds of free copies have been distributed to pre-kindergarten through second-grade classrooms in Michigan, Illinois and beyond in advance of this year's Spread Goodness Day celebration on March 14.